The Dictionary of Folklore

Children's Literature

This excellent reference book for any student of folklore is written at approximately a middle school reading level, but it will also be useful to a much wider audience. Many of the entries are well-within the interest and understanding levels of younger students with a bit of support from a teacher or parent. And even adults will find much new information of interest in this concise, but exhaustive, study of folklore. As the book's title implies, the entries are arranged alphabetically and definitions are provided. However, the book goes much further than this as it offers extensive examples, retellings of stories, background of entries, cross-cultural variants and illustrations of concepts. Leeming includes entries for all types of folklore including myths, nursery rhymes, fairy tales, fables and legends, among others. The book has folklore from many different cultural traditions, such as Native American, Asian, African and European, and includes literature from several religious traditions as well. Fascinating entries abound, such as how we got the rhyme "eeny meeny miny mo," and what was Johnny Appleseed's real name. This makes this book the rare reference volume that is also fun to read. To make the book even more useful, content is indexed and extensive cross-references are provided. This book will be valuable to any child or adult interested in folklore, and should be included in any classroom where traditional literature is studied. 2002, Franklin Watts/Scholastic, Ages 8 up.
—Sheryl O'Sullivan